I’m wondering if it might be a good idea to have a master list of which states allow red/blue lightbars on any vehicle (non-operating while driving of course) and which ones only allow amber/green on your ecto (seems to be mostly out west or South where this is the norm?)
For example, I know in Ohio it is legal to have a blue or red lightbar as long as its not on while driving.
I’m interested in knowing what the law is regarding colored lightbars in PA, IN, NY, MI, KY, IL.
I recieved an email from the KY DOT/state police a couple weeks ago answering this very question. They said for the state of KY NO light bars or sirens are allowed on non emergency vehicles functional or not..no exceptions. I was pretty bummed. They even sent me copies of the law.
Man, that sucks! Not even amber??
Nothing. No lights at all. Not even the volunteer fire fighter red light. Yeah…no fun.
Even the lights that road side assistance vehicles have require special registration according to the law.
:sigh:
Here is the gist of Kentucky’s laws about sirens and light bars.
http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=39895
Basically, if you aren’t a public safety responder, you can’t have flashing or colored lights or any kind of siren or whistle.
There is also a section that states you can have yellow lights if you’re a service vehicle (mail man, wrecker, etc.)
Whether you can have them installed and turned off isn’t clear to me here but I’ve heard many, many accounts of people being pulled over for having things that even resemble lights installed in or on their vehicles.
West Virginia is very clear about theirs. Also a big “no” there, and it’s clearly stated you can’t have the lights installed on your vehicle at all.
FYI this would extend to an ambulance or hearse if you aren’t a license ambulance driver and / or it’s not being used in a funeral precession. It also would cover a car built from 1959-now.
From what I’ve seen, best option is to get removable magnetic lights and keep them in your trunk until it’s parked.
So i’ve got thus far:
Colored light bars allowed:
OH: Yes
KY: NO
WV: NO
NY: Yes
Indiana is good to go. Legal to have as long as they are not operating on a roadway.
I need to move to Indiana! Lol.
Let me add more here…
The snag in Indiana is your vehicle has to be not to be confused with any law enforcement vehicle. Our wording is “readily identifiable”. Now if you dig through the statutes, there’s a bit of confusion. Our statutes are written as if the lights are on and utilized. They cover everything from my police car to a volunteer fireman responding to a call to a funeral ■■■■■■. I’d say all will be fine as long as you don’t come up with some new age ecto design that looks just like a police car. And as mentioned above, don’t turn your blinky shit on driving down the road. And remember…There’s always that one guy on every department…
I can’t remember the exact law in Virginia, so hopefully someone who has a running vehicle will respond, but it’s been my understanding that so long as you a)keep them off and b) don’t use a color already specified for emergency vehicles you’re good to go. However, show cars are a different beast entirely. They’re considered off road vehicles and are limited to a low mileage annually to get from event to event. Virginia usually makes a lot of exceptions for normal highway use vehicles and ones for non-highway/off-road use.
It’s illegal if you ask.
If you build the vehicle and you’re cool about it and don’t run the lights on the road and you work with your community and do volunteer work, it will be okay.
That’s so wrong for so many reasons.
If it’s illegal, not only could you get a big ticket, they could impound your lights and siren.
Check if it’s legal. If it’s illegal, don’t do it. Ignorance of the law is no excuse and you aren’t exempt from the law because you play dress up on the weekends.
Rhode Island here.
All rotary and flashing lights are prohibited except on the vehicle categories specifically designated in the law.
Ectomobiles are not listed.
Sad face.
I’m speaking from experience. I’ve been driving my jeep for two years without an incident and we do volunteer work with the local PD at events. It’s all fun and there’s never been an incident because I respect people and don’t use the lights EVER unless the vehicle is stationary and someone requests to see the lights on. I actually pull the fuse out most of the time. Parades are the only time the car moves with the lights on.
Boomer will tell you. He’s had his Ecto all over the country. As long as you aren’t being an idiot about it, you will probably be fine. He’s written guides and answered this question so many times. It really comes down to why you’re doing it and how you go about doing it.
Some people use a loophole, like Chace Ambrose, who mounted his control box out of reach while piloting the vehicle. Some people bag the light-bars ‘out of service’ while not at events. Some people don’t encounter problems with leaving them mounted as they are, like our groups here in Oklahoma and Texas.
Your mileage may vary. Mounting rotating lights is a DOT violation in a lot of states, but STOP treating it like it’s a criminal issue. No one is trying to impersonate a police officer, here.
Don’t suggest to people on an open forum to ignore or disobey the law especially when it can have expensive or damaging consequences.
Again, just because you play make believe on the weekends does not mean you are exempt from the law.
And again, ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Everyone should research the laws and ordinances in their area to make sure lights, sirens and decals are legal. If you fail to do so you can face financial penalties or have your equipment impounded.
Period.
To suggest otherwise is irresponsible, dangerous and ignorant.
Tex, you might disagree with Lando on this issue but there’s no justification for insulting him.
And whilst there will be those members of law enforcement who’ll be lenient, there will also be those who will be a bit of a hard case, so it’s worth stressing that using roof-mounted emergency lights is at the driver/car owner’s risk.
Not 100% sure but it looks like it might be largely a no go in Michigan as well
http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,1667,7-123-1586_27094-73839--,00.html
I just shot them an email for clarification.
Just makes me wonder, and I apologize if this sounds stupid, but perhaps you could remove the lighting or strobing portions (bulbs, LEDs, or the entire assembly) of the lightbar. In my mind, it would no longer be considered a light bar, but you would still have the visual aesthetics. Maybe it’s an option?